News of Emmanuel Adebayor’s illness has already threatened to throw a spanner in the works for Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the new campaign, but help could be at hand if the Lilywhites opt to enter the race for Demba Ba.

Adebayor was taken to hospital over the weekend, where doctors diagnosed him with a mild case of malaria.

While not as serious as first thought, the news is nevertheless a setback for Spurs, with the Togo forward unable to travel to North America as part of an important pre-season tour.

With the 30-year-old set to rest for much of the next two weeks, this latest development is unlikely to leave many behind the scenes happy, with Tottenham still too reliant on a fully-fit Adebayor at present to provide their main attacking threat.

There is some hope, however, that the incident will serve as a wake-up call to those behind the scenes at Spurs, highlighting the lack of effective attacking options in the event of an injury to the former Arsenal and Manchester City forward.

Roberto Soldado struggled for form last season and ended the campaign as a shell of the striker that once topped the scoring charts for Valencia in Spain.

Harry Kane, meanwhile, is viewed as a promising young talent but one not ready to carry the full weight of expectation attached to the main forward at a top Premier League club.

And with little sign of a new striker arriving at White Hart Lane, it could be time for Pochettino to think outside the box.

Demba Ba would be a great addition, with the Senegal forward currently seeking a move away from Chelsea and boasting a goalscoring pedigree that could help fire Tottenham to glory.

And while Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho previously blocked a bid for Ba from Arsenal, he could be open to the idea of allowing him to move to the Lilywhites, where he could end up wrecking havoc on the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and, of course, the Gunners.

Should Tottenham try to sign Ba? Comments below.

Jack Beresford

Jack is a 27-year-old writer with experience in writing about sport in a range of guises. He’s something of a statto when it comes to soccer and has a passion for English football at all levels, as well as Serie A and the Bundesliga.